J 999 Jersey Personalised Number Plate

A REGISTRATION plate which was expected to fetch up to £40,000 at auction on Wednesday failed to sell.

J999, which is assigned to a scooter of ‘insignificant value’, went under the hammer at Glencoe Auction Rooms in St Lawrence.

But it failed to reach its reserve price.

Although nowadays it is strapped to the back of a two-wheeler which has seen better days, it may once have been attached to the star asset of Pontypandy Fire Station.

A JEP investigation (a quick search on Google) has uncovered evidence that the J-plate once belonged to Jupiter – the shiny red fire engine driven by Fireman Sam.

It's not clear whether the Welsh firefighting hero is now trying to raise some much needed capital after falling on hard times, or whether they are simply two registration plates which happen to share the same number.

More Number plate Auction news:

A TEAMNZ number plate being auctioned on Trade Me has reached a bid of $23,000, 11 hours before closing.

User floppy9 has listed the plate from Taranaki with a starting bid of $20,000.

It urged buyers to "be the first to show them off around the streets of New Zealand".

Peter Burling was at the helm for Emirates Team New Zealand when the Kiwis overwhelmed Cup holders Oracle Team USA 7-1 off Bermuda to lift the Auld Mug on June 27.

Floppy9 advised to hold on to it until the next America's Cup as a good investment.

The plates, according to the seller, had been bought a very long time ago.